This invention relates to interior rearview mirror assemblies for vehicles and, more particularly, to a day/night mirror assembly supported from a button secured to the interior of a vehicle windshield.
This application is related to commonly-owned, copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 276,969, entitled VEHICLE MIRROR ASSEMBLY, and Ser. No. 276,839, entitled REARVIEW MIRROR SUPPORT BRACKET, both of which were filed on even date herewith, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
In the past, different interior day/night and other rearview mirror assemblies have been designed for different vehicles and the varying requirements of different countries in which automobiles or other vehicles are manufactured. Recent governmental and industry concern for strength, bending resistance, breakaway ability and other safety requirements, as well as manufacturing and consumer concern for weight and cost reduction in vehicles to provide energy savings, have dictated a reexamination of existing mirror assembly designs.
In the United States, not only must an inside rearview mirror provide a predetermined field of view, but it must be mounted so that it is stably supported, is both horizontally and vertically adjustable and can deflect, collapse or break away from its supported position without leaving sharp edges when subjected to a predetermined force in the forward direction within predetermined angular boundaries.
In the European Economic Community (EEC), motor vehicle regulations require that a rearview mirror assembly be able to withstand a predetermined static load including the support of a weight without breaking or, if the assembly does break, without glass fragments being released. Alternately, the mirror may be made of safety glass. These governmental regulations, together with current vehicle window areas, angles of windshield inclination, and radii of curvature place design constraints on interior rearview mirror configurations. In addition, mirror structures must be sufficiently rigid to withstand normal loads during use and must maintain proper operating characteristics throughout the full range of temperatures to which the vehicles in which the mirror assemblies are used might be exposed.
Therefore, a need was recognized for a simplified, reliable, inside day/night rearview mirror assembly for use in virtually all currently manufactured general use vehicles. It was desired to provide a mirror assembly useful in varying climatic conditions and which took into account the governmental and industry safety requirements for the major vehicle producing countries of the world. A need was further recognized for a simplified structure for retaining a mirror element within a case, for keeping manufacturing rejection rates of the assemblies to a minimum, for more positive control of the day/night pivoting action while providing fewer overall parts, for providing ease in attachment to a vehicle, consistent support in all normally encountered environments, and adequate breakaway capabilities, all while maintaining a proper field of view, strength, reduced weight and resistance to vibration during use.